ambit

n.

1. An external boundary; a circuit.
2. Sphere or scope. See synonyms at range.

[Latin ambitus, from past participle of ambīre, to go around. See ambient.]

noun

1. A line around a closed figure or area: circuit, circumference, compass, perimeter, periphery. See edge/center.
2. An area within which something or someone exists, acts, or has influence or power: compass, extension, extent, orbit, purview, range, reach, realm, scope, sphere, sweep, swing. See territory.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A boundary line that indicates ownership of a parcel of land as opposed to other parcels; an exterior or enclosing line. The limits of a power or jurisdiction. The delineation of the scope of a particular subject matter.

1) a circuit, compass, or circumference
2) esp. a space surrounding a house, castle, town, etc.; the precincts, liberties, verge
3) the confines, bounds, limits of a district
4) fig. sphere of influence; scope

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - område, omkreds, grænse

Nederlands (Dutch)
reikwijdte, omgeving

Français (French)
n. - sphère d'attributions, compétence, étendue, portée

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gebiet, Bereich

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - περιφέρεια, περίμετρος, σφαίρα, τομέας, τα πέριξ

Italiano (Italian)
àmbito

Português (Portuguese)
n. - âmbito (m)

Русский (Russian)
пределы, границы

Español (Spanish)
n. - ámbito

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - område, omkrets

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
境界, 周围, 范围, 领域

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 境界, 周圍, 範圍, 領域

한국어 (Korean)
n. - (건물의)주위, 범위

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 境界線, 区域

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) نطاق, حدود‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮תחום, גבול, סביבות‬

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(AM-bit)

noun
1. Circumference, boundary, or circuit.
2. Scope, range, or limit.

Etymology
From Latin ambitus (going around), from ambire (to go around)

Here are a few cousins of today's word: ambition, ambiance, ambient.

Usage
"It was an elective office, but it was a legal office, and it had a wide ambit in social and economic issues." — James Traub, The Attorney General Goes to War, The New York Times Magazine, Jun 16, 2002.

"Conducted in a large gymnasium or the great outdoors instead of within the narrow ambit of ultrasound detectors and other sensors, virtual reality could become an ideal training tool for sports, firefighting, or military maneuvers, Foxlin predicts." — David Brittan, Knowing Where Your Head is At, Technology Review (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Feb 12, 1995.

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